From the other side of the curb
by paganontherock
Summary: What exactly is family? Join the outsider plus a few friends as they attempt to answer this question while trying to survive. I couldn't get rid of Dally and Johnny so I didn't! Rated T just in case, you never know what Dally is going to do.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there.**

**I'd Like to tell you where this story came from, but truth be told I'm not sure myself, I wanted to write about family and it evolved in to the outsiders. Never fear, I do have a vague idea of where this is going but I will take any suggestions in to account.**

Family.

One word. One all important word.

So what is it?

Oxford dictionary defines it as; a group consisting of two parents and their children living together as a unit

As well as;

All the descendants of a common ancestor.

And me?

I define family as the people I would lay down my life for, the people who will always be there no matter what.

My family is always shifting, it gets bigger and smaller, moves closer or further away, but one thing remains the same, my desire to protect them.

I would kill for my family and die for my family, take and give a beating for my family, lie for my family and cry over my family. They're everything to me.

And recently it's grown dramatically, by 7 people.

Dally, Darry, Soda, Johnny, Ponyboy, two-bit and Steve have all become like brothers to me, and it's all because of Ryan and Soda and my need to help people.

Me and Ryan were walking home one day and he decided he wanted to take a short cut through an ally so I went along with him, and we came across a greaser with the most beautiful golden hair lying bleeding on the ground. I did my very best to stop the bleeding, but it was pretty bad so Ryan ran in to the closest corner store to call our friend Stephen.

He brought his dads truck even though he wasn't old enough to drive, and we pulled the kid into the back where I sat holding my shirt against the gash in his stomach, the cold air giving me goose bumps.

We took him back to my house to get him fixed up; I cleaned up his cuts and put butterfly closures over the cut in his stomach, hoping it wouldn't require stitches.

We put him on the couch and covered him in a blanket where he stayed for two hours before finally waking up.

When he did he told us his name was Sodapop Curtis and thank you very much for looking after him.

He said he'd been on his way home when a bunch of socs jumped him.

I offered to feed him supper before taking him home but he said that his brothers would be worried sick and he ought to be there as soon as possible so we brought him home. Turns out he lived fairly close just a few streets over. He invited us in to meet the gang and well, we never really left after that.

I took an immediate liking to them all, Darry was obviously a father figure to them all, two-bit and soda couldn't help but laugh at everything and I even liked Dally, there was something about him that told me he was fiercely protective of his gang, and I could relate to that.

Stephen and Ryan were my boys, my gang so to speak, and I loved them dearly.

Ryan had lived with me and my mom for years, his own parents weren't fit to raise him.

Stephen still lived at home although I wished he wouldn't, at least once a week he'd come over with new bruises and I'd ask him to move out but the answer was always the same "I can't run from my problems".

People called us inseparable attached at the hip. I always thought it went a bit deeper, I'd say we were attached at the heart. It was hard not to be when you'd gone through the highs and lows of your life with each other, and I don't think I'd want it any other way.

**So, you may have noticed that my main character doesn't have a gender or a name yet...**

**that's where you come in!**

**yes, you sitting here reading this (and thank you for that by the way).**

**I have not**** been able to pick a gender, so i figured why not ask someone else what they think. Let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Has it been a shameful amount I time since I uploaded the intro? Absolutely. I decided to go with a female main character, but to even things out I'll also be writing from Stephen and Ryan's perspectives, so really 3 oc's. Enjoy the story and as always I look forward to reviews!**

"Honey I'm home" I called jokingly walking into the Curtis household.

"Don't slam the door" Ponyboy called then sighed as it did just that.

"Sorry" I ruffled his hair as I passed because I knew he hated it, then brought the casserole dish I was carrying in to Darry.

"Got some lasagna left over, figured it wouldn't go to waste here" I offered.

"Thanks" he took it gratefully and I went back to the living room where Ponyboy was watching a documentary about grasses o the northeast.

"You find this interesting?" I asked incredulously.

"You don't?" He retorted but he changed it to the Sunday night movie, something about football.

I looked around content, I had only known the gang about a month but I felt at home here, even without Ryan and Stephen who weren't here yet. We had started doing dinner on Sundays potluck style when people could bring something since Darry complained about buying food to feed the neighborhood.

I always brought over food when I could, mom didn't mind.

I loved my mom, she was a beautiful person but she was hardly around, being a single mother who looked after me and Ryan meant she worked a lot.

Me and Ryan had jobs too, we didn't work much but it helped, I worked at the Dingo and Ryan worked at a convenience store.

"When are Ryan and Stephen coming over?" Sodapop asked taking a seat.

"What I'm not good enough?" I clutched my heart in mock pain.

"None of that now" Soda laughed used to my antics "I was just curious is all".

"Ryan was getting ready to rad over to Stephens when i left, I wanted to make sure the lasagna had a chance to heat up so I came early" I explained.

"I love your lasagna" Soda licked his lips.

"Why hello there good folks, how are y'all doin on this mighty fine afternoon?" Two-bit stuck his head through the door as everyone laughed at the fake southern belle accent.

"Come now, tell a girl what's so funny" he jested, batting his eyelashes.

"Why you are" I told him, making my voice breathy and high pitched.

"You're a funny dude" Stephen laughed walking in behind him followed by Ryan.

The two looked fairly similar, if it wasn't for their builds you'd say they were related.

They both had long coal black hair and brown eyes. While Ryan greased his hair back Stephen preferred not to and so it hung in a shaggy mess over his face, and Ryan was taller and unbelievably skinny no matter how much he ate while Stephen was shorter and stocky, although he was far from overweight, rather muscular actually.

"Hello boys" I continued with my southern belle act and Two-Bit played along.

"Oh Lordy Lordy, I'm mighty glad you two strapping young men are here to rescue me from these hooligans" he proclaimed as Sodapop pounced dragging him to the floor.

"Help help! They've got her!" I crowed, then fell in a mock faint.

Darry came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dishcloth, took one look at us and turned back around shaking his head.

"Hey Storm" Stephen laughed as I sat up.

"Wassup?" I punched him on the arm lightly, my face growing dark concern when he flinched.

He gave me a look that quite plainly begged me not to say anything.

"Later" I said quietly, although I was near positive about what had happened.

His old man got really drunk a lot and every now and then he'd get violent too.

It broke my heart, Stephen was a good guy, the type of person everyone couldn't help but love.

I think even the socs went a bit easier on him because he was so damn nice to everyone who crossed his path that they couldn't help being fond of him.

Not his dad though, his dad was the exceptions, and the one who hurt the most.

"Storm you in there?" Ponyboy was waving his hand in front of my face.

"He left" I joked, shaking my head I clear my mind before heading in to the kitchen where everyone was clumped around the Curtis' table.

"You guys need a bigger table" I remarked.

"And more chairs" Soda agreed, with no space left he was sitting on top of two-bit who nodded enthusiastically.

We all laughed and agreed as Dally strolled through the door.

"Better get me a chair" He said half menacingly.

"Sit on the counter" I suggested.

"Is that your mothers lasagna I smell Storm?" He asked doing just that.

"Sure is" I told him.

Dally helped himself to a large portion of lasagna and sat back on the counter.

"Has anyone seen Johnny?" Ponyboy asked.

"If you see him tell him he's a scoundrel" Dally joked, having seen Johnny come up the driveway from his perch on the counter.

"That hurts" Johnny said limping slightly as he walked to the table, laying down the cookies that were his contribution to our meal.

Dally glared at Ryan who immediately jumped up giving Johnny his chair.

Dally scared Ryan silly.

"How's the back today?" Soda asked Johnny.

"It's not bad today" Johnny told him, taking some of Two-Bits salad and inspecting it carefully before deciding it was safe.

Johnny had made a tremendous recovery since the fire but he was still pretty stiff most days. The doctors said it was incredible that he was walking at all, even with the cane he had with him most days.

I knew that in Ponyboys English theme he wrote that Johnny and Dally both died.

I asked him why once, and he told it was because he dreamt it would end that way, and that he would always be glad he was wrong.

"There's a girl in my chemistry class who's real cute" Ponyboy announced all of a sudden.

Wolf whistles erupted from around the table and Ponyboy looked at his food sheepishly.

"Shut up guys"

"Don't be shy" Ryan joked "who is this girl?"

"Isabella Jacobs" He told us.

Dally looked deadly serious "you stay away from the Jacobs crew you hear? They're nothing but trouble"

"But Isabella's so nice" Pony said confused.

"Her brothers aren't anyone you want to mess with Pony trust me" Darry offered suddenly.

"Why what are her brothers like?" Pony asked.

I wracked my brain trying to remember where I had heard the name, Jacobs, Jacobs. I knew they were tied up in something bad.

It wasn't until later that night as I was falling asleep that I remembered, something to do with a couple of murders a while back. Ponyboy didn't know who he was messing with.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello lovely readers. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long, but if I force myself to write I end up delivering garbage**

** instead of my regular work. As a result I've decided to sacrifice timeliness in lieu of quality, i ope you all understand. I want you to know that I greatly value everyone who takes the time to read and review my stories, you are all beautiful.**

**Stephen's POV**

I woke up as my alarm went off, silencing it quickly so it wouldn't wake my old man. I knew he would be hung over today; the bruises all over my body were proof enough of that. My Dad wasn't half bad sober but he was a real mean drunk and most days I did something to make him mad.

He'd been a lot happier before mom left I reflected as I took a quick shower, it was like she had taken all his kindness with her.

I got dressed as quietly as I could and grabbed an apple to eat as I made my way over to Storms house. I let myself in and greeted Ryan, as I did every morning, then we waited ten minutes for storm just like we did every morning.

"Hurry up!" Ryan called impatiently to which Storm replied with a shouted obscenities. She came down the hallway pulling her shirt over her head.

"I don't understand how you get up the same time I do yet it takes you 15 minutes longer to get ready" Ryan shook his head "if you wore piles of makeup maybe I'd understand but you don't wear makeup or spend a lot of time on your hair. I just do not get it"

"Oh shut up and lets just go" Storm said.

"So did anyone figure out what's so bad about the Jacobs?" I asked. I knew that the knowledge was somewhere in my brain but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me.

"Remember the Daniels murder a while back? Entire family dead, bloody and brutal. They couldn't prove it cause of some court bullshit but those two brothers did it. The entire family is a total mess, their dad killed their mother and got the death penalty for it. And if Dally says that someone isn't to be messed with then I run far away and I don't look back" Storm said somberly.

"I just hope Ponyboy is smart enough to do the same" I said equally sombre.

It seemed that Ponyboy was determined to do the stupid thing however because when I got to Chemistry what did I see?

Ponyboy and Isabella sharing a table, and looking comfortable too.

I gave Ponyboy what I hoped was a look of disappointment, or maybe disdain, which he blatantly ignored.

"No good will come of this" I thought ominously. She hardly looked dangerous herself though; she had a soft face with pretty blue eyes and blonde hair that fell in soft waves below her shoulders. Coupled with a straight bang she was hardly the face of danger, she was beautiful even.

"Stop that Stephen" I reprimanded myself "you know she's dangerous so don't go feeling bad for her."

I did my best to ignore the fact that her and Ponyboy were hitting it off and chose to focus on my own work instead.

My lab partner for the day was a quiet middle class kid, bad for conversation but good for getting the work done. He was good enough that I was finished a couple minutes early, in time to hear Ponyboy invite Isabella over and hear her agree.

"Dally is not going to like this."

After school the three of us decided to head by the Curtis household, eager to see what was going to happen when Dally came face to face with a Jacobs.

We walked a few feet behind them, quiet for the most part even Ryan. I wasn't sure where Two-Bit had ended up but I was reckoning he would show up, Two-Bit would never miss something like this.

Ponyboy and Isabella laughed as they walked, bumping shoulders occasionally. I still didn't know what was wrong with her, there was no hope for her brothers but she seemed alright.

I said as much to Storm and Ryan, Storm had similar feelings while Ryan was less optimistic. "She has to be at least minorly affected having grown up how she did. It's just a matter of time before she snaps" he rationalised.

"We'll have to wait and see" I agreed.

We got to the house and watched as Ponyboy seemed to brace himself before leading Isabella inside.

No one was there yet, it seemed the Curtis brothers and Steve were working and Dally could have been any number of places for all we knew.

I grabbed a piece of chocolate cake and went out on to the porch, Ryan joining me while inside Ponyboy and Isabella were talking about the books they liked and Storm was watching T.V. She was wary of leaving the two of them alone together it seemed, and possibly correctly so.

Myself and Ryan decided to toss the football around for a while, we were at it for about twenty minutes when up walked none other than Dallas Winston.

We both turned and followed him into the house, curiosity killing our proverbial cats as the saying goes. (My English teacher would have been proud of that)

I closed the screen door and turned in time to see Dallas look at Isabella with a glare that made better men's knees watery. It seemed to unnerve her, she looked frightened, a look that only intensified as Dally drew a gun that he had gotten from who knows where and pointed it directly at her head.

"Ponyboy" he enunciated clearly "why the fuck is there a Jacobs here? I thought I made myself very clear yesterday that these were not the people you wanted to be dealing with."

"I think I can decide that for myself thanks" Ponyboy gritted his teeth "now lower your gun and let her leave."

"Oh I don't know about that" Dally replied in what could almost be described as a sickeningly sweet manner "see I think if you were at her house one of her lovely brothers would have your head blown off by now"

"Please don't kill me" Isabella spoke up. Since Dally had entered the house she had been quiet, barely reacting when he pointed his gun at her. This struck me as something that was very wrong, even with a family like hers she should have reacted more.

"You'll only cause more problems if I die" She said in the same soft tone.

Dally seemed to think it over before slowly lowering his weapon

"This will never happen again so be careful" he instructed "now leave before I change my mind"

Isabella didn't need telling twice, she took off in to the night, in search of a family all her own no doubt.

**I hate to beg, but please please review? It really is like brain stimulant for authors.**


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